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New TV partnership to expand Padres' reach

The Padres added depth to their pitching staff with the offseason additions of Josh Johnson and Joaquin Benoit

By Corey Brock
/
MLB.com |

SAN DIEGO -- Beginning March 30, Padres games will reach a much greater audience.

On Monday, FOX Sports San Diego and Time Warner Cable formally announced an agreement to carry the regional sports network.

"We thank our fans for their long-standing patience for the last several years. We also thank FOX Sports San Diego for their diligence in making this partnership happen. And finally, we thank Time Warner and welcome them back to the Padres family," said Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler in a statement.

"We're excited to bring San Diego Padres baseball into every home in San Diego County. We are also pleased that our broadcast will now be available for the many Padres fans in Hawaii as well. This is a great day for Padres fans everywhere."

Prior to the agreement, about 22 percent of cable subscribers in San Diego and its surrounding areas were unable to watch the Padres play because of a long-standing impasse between the two entities.

"We're happy for the many Padres fans who are Time Warner Cable customers who now will be able to follow their hometown baseball team on TV all season long," said Henry Ford, the senior vice president and general manager of FOX Sports San Diego in a statement.

"With this agreement, Padres baseball will now be available in more homes in San Diego than ever before."

Time Warner Cable will begin offering FOX Sports San Diego beginning March 30. Channel positioning on Time Warner Cable will be announced at a later date.

Since it was formed in 2012, FOX Sports has held exclusive rights to Padres games. The channel has had agreements with all local TV providers to air games, except for Time Warner Cable.

"We're pleased to have reached a reasonable long-term agreement for FOX Sports San Diego, and we look forward to launching this network in the near future," said Jennifer Chun, senior vice president, content acquisition for Time Warner Cable, in a statement.

The Padres open the regular season on March 30 against the Dodgers at Petco Park in a game that will be shown nationally by ESPN.

Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.